Rotary engine



Jan. 7, 1964 D. L. scoTT 3,116,666

ROTARY ENGINE Filed Feb. 15. 1961 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVE DE WEY L. SCOTTJan. 7, 1964 D. L. SCOTT 3,116,656

I ROTARY ENGINE Filed Feb. 15, 1961 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 /////////17); lid7/. R

INVENTOR: DEWEY L. SCOTT ATTO A EYS Jan. 7, 1964 D. L. scoTT 3,116,666

ROTARY ENGINE Filed Feb. 15, 1961 v '7 Sheets-Sheet 3 u-iad 22 75 3#i-fl' DEWEY 1.. SCOTT ATTOR [r5 INVENTOR Jan. 7, 1964 D. SCOTT3,116,666

ROTARY ENGINE Filed Feb. 15, 1961 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR DEWEY L.SCOTT ROTARY ENGINE Filed Feb. 15, 1961 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 wvewom' 25DEWEY L. SCOTT ATTO f);

D. L. SCOTT ROTARY ENGINE Jan. 7, 1964 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Feb. 15,1961 INVENTOR" DEWEY L. SCOTT ATTO NE);

Jan. 7, 1964 D. L. SCOTT 3,116,666

ROTARY ENGINE Filed Feb. 15, 1961 '7 Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTOR UnitedStates Patent 3,116,666 ROTARY ENGINE Dewey L. Scott, 47% BlackhawlrDrive, Atfton, Mo. Filed Feb. 15, 1961, Ser. No. 99,654 12 Claims. (Cl.91-92) The invention relates to rotary engines suitable for operationwith pressurized fiuid such as steam, compressed air or other gas, orliquids under pressure.

It is an object of the invention to provide an engine of this type inwhich a plurality of overlapping impulses may be delivered to the rotorduring each revolution whereby the rotor will deliver a continuoussubstantially constant torque.

Another object is to provide an engine of this type which may beassembled from laminations each suitably grooved, slotted, or recessedto form the necessary fluid passageways.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of thefollowing description.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the engine alongline 11 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view along line 2-2 ofFIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view along line 3-3 ofFIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a partial longitudinal vertical sectional view along line4-4 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view along line 55 of FIGURE2.

FIGURE 6 is a partial longitudinal vertical sectional view along line 66of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a transverse vertical sectional view along line 7--7 ofFIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a transverse vertical sectional view along line 88 of FIGURE2.

FIGURES 9-20 are transverse vertical sectional views along line 9-9 ofFIGURE 2, showing various portions of the rotor and subrotors during acomplete revolution.

FIGURES 21, 22 and 23 are diagrammatic views showing the angularspacing, respectively, of the inlet and exhaust ports, the by-passslots, and the intake and exhaust passageways in the rotor.

The normal direction of rotation of the engine will be taken ascounterclockwise throughout the following description, and the termsforward and rear, trailing and leading will be used in this sense.

The engine comprises a stator or housing 1 of substantially triangularcross section laminated from a plurality of plates. The central plate 3has a trifoliate opening with a relatively large circular centralportion 5 and three smaller circular portions 6, 7 and 8 intersectingthe periphery of the central portion and equally spaced around it. Arotor Ill) with a cylindrical body 10a of substantially less diameterthan the opening central portion 5 is received therein and is providedwith four equally-spaced, radially-extending vanes 11, 12, 13 and 14,the outer surfaces of which are arcuate and of substantially the samediameter as the opening central portion 5 so as to be capable ofrotating in central portion 5, yet effecting a seal with its periphery.

Plate 3 is abutted on both sides by plates 16a and 1612, which, togetherwith plate 3, form the rotor chamber, and plates 16a and 16b, in turnare adjoined by inlet and ex haust plates 18a and 18b. Sealing plates20a and 20b are secured to the outer surfaces of plates 18a and 18b,respectively, and spacer plates 22a and 22b space end closure plates 24aand 24b from the sealing plates 13a and 18b. It will be understood, ofcourse, that although the laminated construction described above ispreferred, the

3,116,6hh' Patented Jan. 7, l fi stator might be of suitably-aperturednonlaminated construction.

Rotor it is mounted on and is keyed to a main output shaft 26, which issuitably journaled in the stator laminations and extends outwardlythrough end closure plate 24a. In the smaller circular openings 6, 7 and8, in central lamination 3, are mounted sealing subrotors 28, 29 and 30,which are keyed, respectively to similar shafts 32, 33 and 34 suitablyjournaled in the stator plates. Subrotors 28, 29 and 30 havecylindrically-surfaced exposed hub portions 28a, 29a, and 3ila of theproper diameter to tangentially engage the outer cylindrical surfaces ofvanes 11, 12, 13 and 14 of main rotor 10 so as to effect a seal at thepoints of tangency. Subrotors 28, 29 and 3t? are also each formed withtwo vanes 28b, 29b and 36b, of cylindrical segmental shape, and of theproper diameter to sealingly engage the peripheral surfaces of therecess smaller circular portions 6, 7 and 8 and to tangentially engagethe cylindrical surface of main rotor body 1% so as to effect a seal atthe points of tangency, the arcuate lengths of the outer surfaces ofvanes 28b, 2% and 39b being substantially the same as the arcuatelengths of the rotor body surface between the adjacent vanes. Likewise,the arcuate lengths of the outer surfaces of rotor vanes 11, 12, 13 and14 and the exposed surfaces of subrotor hub portions 28a, 29a and 306:are substantially the same.

In a trifoliate recess '36 formed by spacer plate 22a between plates 20aand 2411, as best seen in FIGURE 1, a large spur gear 37, keyed to mainrotor shaft 16, meshes with smaller spur gears 39, 4t) and 41, which arekeyed to subrotor shafts 32, 33 and 34, respectively, the gear ratiobeing two to one, and the rotor and subrotors being synchronized so thattheir interfitting vanes mesh with each other, to form recesses boundedby the surf-aces of main rotor body 10a, opening 5 in stator plate 3,the outer surfaces of the subrotor vanes, and plates 16a and 16b. Theserecesses are adapted, by the arrangement of valving as will be describedhereinafter, to serve successively, and overlappingly, as pressurechambers, into which fluid under pressure is introduced successively, tobear against one of the rotor vanes and thus cause the rotor to rotate.

Fluid is introduced to the compression chambers by means of fourpassages of segmental shape 42, 43, 44 and 45, which extendlongitudinally through the body of the rotor immediately rearwardly ofthe vanes 11, 12, 13 and 14; these passages communicate with theperipheral surfaces of the rotor body 10a by radial slots 42a, 43a, 44aand 45a, which intersect the rotor body periphery immediately.rearwardly the adjacent vane.

Fluid is succesively introduced to passages 42, 43, 44 and 45 by meansof three openings 47, 48 and 49 in plates 16a and 16b of similar crosssection, equiangularly spaced about the axis of the rotor shaft and atthe same radial distance therefrom as passages 42, 43, 4 and 4-5, thecenters of openings 4-7, 48 and 49 being offset approximately 48forwardly in a counterclockwise direction from the radii connecting themain rotor and subrotor axes so that as rotor 10 turns counterclockwise,the vanes of the subrotors will be in scaling engagement with rotor bodyIlla rearwardly of any of the intake passages 42, 43, 44 and 45 whenthat passage registers with one of the openings 47, 48, or 49. Openings47, 48 and 49 extend through plates 16a and 16b and communicate, on theouter sides of these plates with circular recesses 52 in the adjacentfaces of plates 18a and 1812, which, in turn communicate with radialfluid inlet passages 54 in plates 18a and 1817, by means of whichpressurized fluid is introduced into the engine from an external source.

For discharging spent fluid from the compression chambers at atmosphericpressure, four passages 56, 57, 58 and 59 extend longitudinally throughthe rotor body immediately forward of the vanes, in the direction ofrotation, and are at equal radii from the rotor axis, but closer to itthan the fluid intake passages. Passages 56, 57, 5S and 59 communicatewith the peripheral surfaces of the rotor body by means of radialpassages 56a, 57a, 58a and 59a intersecting the peripheral surfacesimmediately forward of the adjacent vanes.

Fluid is selectively withdrawn from passages 56, 57, 58 and 59 throughthree openings 61, 62 and 63 in plates 16a and 16b and registeringpassages 61a, 62a and 63a in plates 18a and 131), which areequiangularly spaced about the axis of the rotor shaft and at the samedistance therefrom as passages 56, 5'7, 58 and 59, the centers ofopenings 61, 62 and 63 being offset approximately 40 rearwardly of theradii connecting the rotor axis with the subrotor axes, so that, as therotor turns counterclockwise, the vanes of the subrotors wiil be insealing engagement forwardly of any of the rotor exhaust passages 5-5,57, 58, 59, when that passage is in registry with one of the exhaustopenings 61, 62, 63, thereby preventing communication between an intakepassageway and the immediately following exhaust passageway, Withconsequent loss of pressure from the intake passageway. Passages 61, 62aand 63a communicate with a circular recess 65 in the outer faces ofplates 18a and 13!), which, in turn discharge into outlet passages 67,communicating with the atmosphere.

From a comparison of FIGURES 21 and 23, it will be seen that the remoteedges of adjacent intake passages, e.g., 42 and 45, are 105 30 apart,while the proximate edges of adjacent inlet ports, e.g., 48 and 47, are104 30' apart, thus providing an overlap of 1 and assuring that, as therotor rotates, a fluid intake passageway and inlet port will always bein at least partial registry, so that the rotor will be subjected tofluid pressure at all times.

Circular intake and discharge recesses 52 and 65 are covered by theabutting surfaces of plates 2%.

Plates 16a and 1612 are also formed with six arcuate by-pass slots 63 ofequal length opening into the recess surrounding the rotor body a andspaced apart from each other a distance nearly equal to the thickness ofthe rotor vanes. These slots are arranged, with the leading ends ofalternate slots substantially abreast of the inlet ports 47, 48 and 49,and trailing ends of the other slots substantially abreast of outletports 61, 62 and 63 so that while pressurized fluid is being admitted tothe recess behind a rotor vane, irrespective of direction of rotationthat vane will sealingly engage the surfaces of plates 16a and 16bbetween successive slots 68, but, when fluid ceases to enter the recessbehind that vane, due to disalignrnent of the intake passageway andinlet port, the rear edge of that vane will uncover the rear end of thenext slot, and any fluid in the recess ahead of that vane, which has notbeen carried off by the exhaust system will pass through the slots 68around the vane and thus not exert any back pressure on the vane.

Operation of the engine will be best understood by reference to FIGURES9 through 20. In FIGURE 9, the vanes 11, 14, 13 and 12 of the mainrotor, reading counterclockwise from the vertical center line areapproximately at the 45, 135, 225 and 315 positions, respectively, androtor intake passage 42 is in partial registry with inlet ports 47 inplates 16a and 16b. Vane 28b of subrotor 2&5 and the peripheral surfaceof main rotor body 11M between vanes 11 and 12 are in tangent sealingrelation with each other near their midpoints. Except for passage 4-2and ports 4'7, all the other intake and discharge passages and ports areout of registry. Fluid under pressure is admitted from ports 47 to thespace rearwardly of vane 11, causing the latter to movecounterclockwise. As the rotor moves, exhaust passage 56, communicatingwith the space forwardly of vane 11,

4 registers with exhaust ports (23 in plates 16a and 1611, as shown inFIGURE 10, thereby permitting discharge of the spent fluid from thespace forwardly of vane 11.

As the rotor continues to rotate, intake passageway 45 which feeds thechamber rearwardly of vane 14 begins to register with inlet ports 49,slightly before cessation of registration between intake passage 42 andinlet port 47, as shown in FIGURE 11. Fluid is thus admitted to thespace formed rearwardly of vane 14 and forwardly of the cooperatingsubrotor vane 36]) causing the rotor to move to the position shown inFIGURE 12, in which intake passage 45 is in full registry with ports 49and exhaust passageway 59, for the space forwardly of vane 14, is inregistry with exhaust ports 62. The pressure acting on the rear side ofvane 14 causes the rotor to continue to rotate until passage 45 andports 49 are nearly disaligned, at which time intake passage 44 adjacentvane 13 begins to register with inlet ports 48, thus admittingpressurized fluid to the space bounded by the rear edge of vane 13 andthe peripheral surface of subrotor vane 29b, as shown in FIGURE 13. Thepressure behind vane 13 causes the rotor to continue to movecounterclockwise until intake passage 44 and inlet ports 43 are in fullregistry, as shown in FIGURE 14. At the same time exhaust passageway 53and exhaust port 69 will be in registry, permitting the discharge ofspent fluid from the space bounded on its rear by the forward edge ofvane 13 and on the front by the peripheral surface of subrotor vane 28b.As long as passageway 44 and ports 48 are in even partial registry,pressure will, of course, continue to be exerted by the fluid againstthe rear edge of vane 13, causing the rotor to continue to rotatecounterclockwise until passageway 43 adjacent the rear edge of vane 12comes into registry with inlet ports 43, whereupon fluid pressure willbe exerted against the rear edge of vane 12, causing the rotor to moveto- Ward the position shown in FIGURE 15 in which intake passage 43 andinlet ports 48 are nearly disaligned and intake passage 42 adjacent vane11 and inlet ports 49 are about to become aligned, the spent fluidhaving been discharged from the space forwardly of vane 12 during theregistry of exhaust passageway 57 and exhaust ports 63. As intakepassageway 42 and inlet ports 49 become aligned, pressure on the rearface of vane 11 caused by the fluid in the space between vane 11 and theadjacent peripheral surface of subrotor vane 39]) causes the rotor tocontinue to rotate to the position shown in FIGURE 16, in whichpassageway 42 is approaching disalignment from inlet ports 49, exhaustpassage 56 is approaching disalignment from exhaust ports 62, most ofthe fluid in the space immediately forward of vane 11 and rearwardly ofsubrotor vane 2% having been discharged, and intake passageway 45 isapproaching registry with inlet ports 48, so that when passageway 42 andports 49 are entirely disaligned from each other, intake passageway 45and inlet ports 48 will be in partial registry to introduce pressurizedfluid into the space between the rear edge of vane 14 and the adjacentperipheral surface of subrotor vane 2%. At the same time exhaustpassageway 59 adjacent the forward edge of vane 14 will commence toregister with inlet ports 61 so as to permit the discharge of spentfluid from the space between vanes 12 and 13. As the rotor continues toturn counterclockwise, intake passageway 44 adjacent the rear edge ofvane 13 comes into registry with inlet ports 4'7, and exhaust passageway53 adjacent the forward edges of vane 13 comes into registry withexhaust port 63, causing continuation of the counterclockwise movementof the rotor, in the course of which, as intake passageway 44 approachesdisalignment with inlet ports 47, intake passageway 43 adjacent theforward edge of vane 12 comes into registry with inlet ports 49, so thatpressurized fluid is introduced into the space behind vane 12, as seenin FIGURE 17 causing continuation of the counterclockwise rotormovement. At the same time spent fluid ahead of vane 12 is dischargedthrough registering exhaust passageway 57 and ports 62. As passageway 43approaches disalignment from ports 49, passage 42 rearwardly of vane 11commences to register with inlet ports 48, and exhaust passageway 56ahead of vane 11 registers with exhaust port 61, as seen in FIGURE 18,thereby discharging the spent fluid from the space ahead of vane 11.

The fluid pressure on the rear face of vane 11 causes continuation ofthe counterclockwise movement of the rotor, and prior to thedisalignment of intake passageway 42 and inlet ports 43, as shown inFIGURE 19, intake passageway 45 adjacent the rear face of vane 14 comesinto partial registry with inlet ports 47, whereby the rotor continuesits counterclockwise movement, fluid behind subrotor vane 28b beingdischarged through register exhaust passage 56 and ports 61. Beforeintake passage 45 becomes entirely disaligned from inlet ports 4'7,intake passage 44 will be in partial registry with inlet ports 4-6, andexhaust passageway 59 will have begun to register with exhaust ports 63.Similarly, by the time intake passageway 44 and inlet ports 46 havebecome disaligned, the rotor will have continued its counterclockwisemovement until intake passageway 43 and inlet ports 43 are partiallyaligned, whereby fluid is introduced behind vane 12, causing movement ofthe rotor to the position shown in FIGURE 20, wherein it will be seenthat, before passageway 43 and port 48 become disaligned, intakepassageway 42 and port 45 will again be partially aligned, the rotorhaving made a full revolution from the position illustrated in FIGURE 9.

The engine may be reversed by using the exhaust system as an intakesystem, and the intake system as an exhaust system.

The structural features of the invention may be moditied withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention and the exclusive use ofthose modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims iscontemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. A rotary engine comprising a stator having a recess therein, a rotorrotatably received within said recess in sealing engagement with theends thereof and having a body of less diameter than said recess andfour equally spaced vanes in sealing engagement with the periphery ofsaid recess, for equiangularly spaced passageways extendinglongitudinally through said rotor and each communicating with theperiphery of said rotor body at the same side of each of said vanes,three equiangularly spaced ports in an end of said recess and at thesame radius from the rotor axis as said passageways, the remote sides ofadjacent passageways being spaced farther apart than the proximate sidesof adjacent ports whereby at least some of said ports and passagewaysare always in registration with each other, said ports being connectedto a source of pressurized fluid, and means for blocking the individualspaces between adjacent vanes during registry of correspondingpassageways and ports.

2. A rotary engine comprising a stator having a recess therein, a rotorrotatably received within said recess in sealing engagement with theends thereof and having a body of less diameter than said recess andfour equally spaced vanes in sealing engagement with the periphery ofsaid recess, a group of four equiangularly spaced passageways extendinglongitudinally through said rotor and each communicating with theperiphery of said rotor body at the same side of each of the vanes, anadditional group of four passageways extending longitudinally throughsaid rotor at a different radius from said rotor axis than saidfirst-named passageways and each communicating with the periphery ofsaid rotor body at the opposite side of each of the vanes from saidfirst-named passageways, a group of three equiangularly spaced ports inan end of said recess at the same radius from the rotor axis as saidfirst-named passageways and adapted for overlapping successive registrywith said first-named passageways during rotation of said rotor, anadditional group of three equiangularly spaced ports in the ends of saidrecess at the same radius as said additional passage- Ways and spacedcircumferentially of the recess from said first-named ports, said groupsof ports being selectively communicable individually with a source ofpressurized fluid and a discharge outlet, and means for blocking theindividual spaces between adjacent vanes during registry of saidpassageways and said ports.

3. A rotary engine comprising a stator with a recess therein having endwalls and side wall structure comprising a circular central portion withthree equally spaced circular portions positioned around said centralportion and intersecting its periphery, a rotor rotatably receivedwithin said recess with its ends in sealing engagement with the endwalls of said recess and having a body of substantially less diameterthan said central portion, and four equally spaced vanes in sealingengagement with the periphery of said central portion, a subrotorrotatably received within each of said peripheral circular portions andhaving a hub adapted to tangentially engage the periphery of said rotorvanes and vanes thereon adapted to tangentially engage the periphery ofsaid rotor body substantially throughout the are between adjacent rotorvanes, four intake passageways extending longitudinally through saidrotor each with its forward edge adjacent the rear edge of one of saidrotor vanes with respect to the normal direction of rotation andcommunicating with the exterior of said rotor body immediatelyrearwardly of the adjacent vane, three equally spaced inlet ports in atransverse wall of said stator adapted for connection to a source ofpressurized fluid and adapted for overlapping successive registry withsaid rotor intake passageways during rotation of said rotor, the remotesides of adjacent rotor intake passageways being spaced farther apartthan the proximate sides of said stator inlet ports whereby pressurizedfluid is constantly admitted to the recess surrounding said rotor bodythroughout the rotation of said rotor.

4. A rotary engine comprising a stator with a recess therein having endwalls and side wall structure comprising a circular central portion withthree equally spaced circular portions positioned around said centralportion and intersecting its periphery, a rotor rotatably receivedwithin said recess with its ends in sealing engagement with the endwalls of said recess and having a body of substantially less diameterthan said central portion, and four equally spaced vanes in sealingengagement with the periphery of said central portion, a subrotorrotatably received within each of said peripheral circular portions andhaving a hub adapted to tangentially engage the periphery of said rotorvanes and vanes thereon adapted to tangentially engage the periphery ofsaid rotor body substantially throughout the are between adjacent rotorvanes, four intake passageways extending longitudinally through saidrotor each with its forward edge adjacent the rear edge of one of saidrotor vanes with respect to the normal direction of rotation andcommunicating with the exterior of said rotor body immediatelyrearwardly of the adjacent vane, three equally spaced inlet ports in atransverse wall of said stator adapted for connection to a source ofpressurized fluid and adapted for overlapping successive registry withsaid rotor intake passageways during rotation of said rotor, the remotesides of adjacnet rotor intake passageways being spaced farther apartthan the proximate sides of said stator inlet ports whereby pressurizedfluid is constantly admitted to the recess surrounding said rotor bodythroughout the rotation of said rotor, four exhaust passagewaysextending longitudinally through said rotor each with its rear edgeadjacent the forward edge of said rotor vanes with respect to thedirection of rotation, three equally spaced exhaust ports in atransverse wall of said stator and adapted for successive registry withsaid exhaust passageways, said exhaust ports being spaced a slightlygreater distance ahead of said inlet ports in the normal direction ofrotation of said rotor.

5. A rotary engine comprising a stator with a recess therein having endwalls and side wall structure comprising a circular central portion withthree equally spaced circular portions positioned around said centralportion and intersecting its periphery, a rotor rotataoly receivedwithin said recess with its ends in sealing engagement with the endwalls of said recess and having a body of substantially less diameterthan said central portion, and four equally spaced vanes in sealingengagement with the periphery of said central portion, a subrotorrotatably received within each of said peripheral circular portions andhaving a hub adapted to tangentially engage the periphery of said rotorvanes and vanes thereon adapted to tangentially engage the periphery ofsaid rotor body substantially throughout the are between adjacent rotorvanes, four intake passageways extending longitudinally through saidrotor each with its forward edge adjacent the rear edge of one of saidrotor vanes with respect to the normal direction of rotation andcommunicating with the exterior of said rotor body immediatelyrearwardly of the adjacent vane, three equally spaced inlet ports in atransverse Wall of said stator adapted for connection to a source ofpressurized fluid and adapted for overlapping successive registry withsaid rotor intake passageways during rotation of said rotor, the remotesides of adjacent rotor intake passageways being spaced farther apartthan the proximate sides of said stator inlet ports whereby pressurizedfluid is constantly admitted to the recess surrounding said rotor bodythroughout the rotation of said rotor, said rotor being geared to saidsubrotors such that said rotor and subrotor vanes constantly mesh witheach other throughout rotation of the rotor whereby the peripheries ofsaid subrotor vanes form the rear walls of compression chambers behindsaid rotor vanes and seal said chambers from the exhaust passagewaysforwardly of the rotor vanes while pressurized fluid is being introducedto said chambers.

6. A rotary engine stator of laminated construction comprising a firstplate forming a rotor-receiving recess, second plates abutting saidfirst plate and enclosing said recess, a third plate having separategrooves in its opposite sides, separate openings in said second platecommunicating individually with said separate grooves, and a fourthplate covering the groove in the side of said third plate remote fromsaid second plate.

7. A rotary engine stator of laminated construction comprising a firstplate forming a rotor-receiving recess, second plates abutting saidfirst plate and enclosing said recess, a third plate having separategrooves in its opposite sides, separate openings in said second platecommunicating individually with said separate grooves, and a fourthplate covering the groove in the side of said third plate remote fromsaid second plate, a fifth plate forming a gear receiving recess, and asixth plate covering the side of the recess remote from the fourthplate.

8. A rotary engine comprising a stator of laminated constructionincluding a first plate forming a recess and second plates closing theends thereof, a rotor rotatably received within said recess and having abody of less diameter than the recess and four equally spaced vanes insealing engagement with the periphery of said recess, a group of fourequiangularly spaced passageways extending longitudinally through saidrotor and each communicating with the periphery of the rotor body at thesame side of each of the vanes, an additional group of four passagewaysextending longitudinally through said rotor at a different radius thansaid first-named passageways and each communicating with the peripheryof said rotor body at the opposite side of the vanes from saidfirstnamed passageways, a group of three equiangularly spaced openingsin said second plate at the same radius from the rotor axis as saidfirst-named passageways and adapted for overlapping successive registrywith said firstnamed passageways during rotation of said rotor, anadditional group of three equiangularly spaced openings in the samesecond plate, a third plate having separate grooves in its oppositesides, said first-named group of openings communicating with the grooveat one side and said additional group of openings communicating with thegroove at the opposite side, and a fourth plate covering said groove inthe side of said third plate remote from said second plate.

9. A rotary engine comprising a stator of laminated constructionincluding a first plate forming a trifoliate recess with a circularcentral portion and three equally spaced peripheral circular portionsintersecting the pcriphery thereof and second plates closing the ends ofsaid recess, a rotor rotatably received within said recess and having abody of less diameter than said recess central portion and four equallyspaced vanes in sealing engagement with the periphery of said recesscentral portion, a subrotor rotatably mounted in each of said peripheralcircular portions and having a pair of vanes in sealing engagement withthe periphery of the peripheral circular portion and adapted totangentially sealingly engage the periphery of the rotor bodysubstantially throughout the distance between adjacent vanes, saidsubrotor having an exposed hub portion between its vanes adapted totangentially sealingly engage the peripheries of the rotor vanes, agroup of four equiangularly spaced passageways extending longitudinallythrough said rotor and each communicating with the periphery of therotor body at the same side of each of the vanes, an additional group offour passageways extending longitudinally through said rotor at adifferent radius than said first-named passageways and eachcommunicating with the periphery of said rotor body at the opposite sideof the vanes from said first-named passageways, a group of threeequiangularly spaced openings in a second plate at the same radius fromthe rotor axis as said first-named passageways and adapted foroverlapping successive registry with said first-named passageways duringrotation of said rotor, an additional group of three equiangularlyspaced openings in the same second plate, a third plate having separategrooves in its opposite sides, said first-named group of openingscommunicating with the groove at one side and said additional group ofopenings communicating with the groove at the opposite side, and afourth plate covering said groove in the side of third plate remote fromsaid second plate, said openings in said second plate being sopositioned with respect to said recess peripheral circular portions thatsaid passageways and corresponding openings communicating with thetrailing side of said rotor vanes register as the trailing end of thesubrotor vane approaches the leading side of the succeeding rotor vaneand the passageways and corresponding openings communicating with theleading side of the rotor vanes register when the leading end of thesubrotor vane departs from the trailing side of the preceding rotorvane.

10. A rotary engine comprising a stator having a trifoliate recesstherein, a rotor rotatably mounted in the central portion of said recessand having four radial vanes in sealing engagement with the periphery ofsaid central portion and a cylindrical body spaced inwardly from saidperiphery, subrotors rotatably mounted in the outer portions of saidrecess and each having a hub portion and vanes adapted to mesh insealing engagement with said main rotor vanes and exposed body surfaces,first longitudinal passageways through said rotor body and communicatingwith the periphery thereof adjacent one side of each of said main rotorvanes, second longitudinal passageways through said rotor body at adifferent radius from said first passageways and communicating with theperiphery thereof at the opposite side of said vanes from said firstpassageways, three openings in an end wall of said recess adapted toregister with said first passageways while a vane of a subrotor is inengagement with an adjacent portion of the body of said rotor, threeadditional openings in an end wall of said recess adapted to registerwith said second passageways while a vane of a subrotor is in engagementwith an adjacent portion of said rotor body, and means for selectivelyconnecting said openings and additional openings to a source ofpressurized fluid.

11. A rotary engine according to claim 12 in which an end wall of saidrecess radially outwardly of the body of said rotor is formed with sixcircumferentially-spaced arcuate slots, three of which have theirleading ends, in a. counterclockwise direction, substantially abreast ofthe leading edges of said first-named openings, and the other time ofwhich have their leading ends, in a clockwise direction substantiallyabreast of the leading edges of said other openings, said slots beingslightly longer than the thickness of said vanes whereby to permit thepassages of unexhausted fluid ahead of each of the vanes around the vaneand thus eliminate back pressure on the vane.

12. A rotary engine comprising a stator having a polyfoliate recesstherein, a rotor rotatably mounted in the central portion of said recessand having a plurality of radial vanes in sealing engagement with theperiphery of said oentral portion and a cylindrical body spaced inwardlyfrom said periphery, subrotors rotatably mounted in the outer portionsof said recess and each having a hub portion and vanes adapted to meshin sealing engagement with said main rotor vanes and exposed bodysurfaces, first longitudinal passageways through said rotor body andcornmunioatin-g with the periphery thereof adjacent one side of each ofsaid main rotor vanes, second longitudinal passageways through saidrotor body at a different radius from said first passageways andcommunicating with the periphery thereof at the opposite side of saidvanes from said first passageways, a plurality of openings in an endwall of said recess adapted to register with said first passagewayswhile a vane of a subrotor is in engagement with an adjacent portion ofthe body of said rotor, a

plurality of additional openings in an end wall of said recess adaptedto register with said second passageways while a vane of a subrotor isin engagement with an adjacent portion of said rotor body, said firstpassageways and openings and said additional passageways and openings,respectively, being relatively spaced apart circumnferentially toprovide continually successive overlapping registry therebetween andmeans for selectively connecting said openings and additional openingsto a sounce of pressurized fluid, an end wall of said recess radiallyoutwardly of the body of said rotor being formed with a plurality ofc-ircurnferentidly-spraced arcuate slots, half of which have theirleading ends, in a counterclockwise direction, substantially abreast ofthe leading edges of said firstnamed openings, and the other half ofwhich have their leading ends, in a clockwise direction substantiallyabreast of the leading edges of said other openings, said slots beingslightly longer than the thickness of said vanes whereby to permit thepassage of unexhausted fluid ahead of each of the vanes around the vaneand thus eliminate back pressure on the vane.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS681,914 Hicks Sept. 3, 1901 864,889 Edwards Sept. 3, 1907 878,327 AdamsFeb. 4, 1908 958,416 Metcalf ict al May 17, 1910 958,571 Wickersham May17, 1910 1,009,405 Gill Nov. 21, 1911 1,269,735 Ogden June 18, 19181,272,876 Ty g ard July 16, 1918 2,177,977 Brauer Oct. 31, 19392,360,430 Lear Oct. 17, 194-4 2,934,044 Gilreath Apr. 26, 1960

1. A ROTARY ENGINE COMPRISING A STATOR HAVING A RECESS THEREIN, A ROTORROTATABLY RECEIVED WITHIN SAID RECESS IN SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH THEENDS THEREOF AND HAVING A BODY OF LESS DIAMETER THAN SAID RECESS ANDFOUR EQUALLY SPACED VANES IN SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PERIPHERY OFSAID RECESS, FOR EQUIANGULARLY SPACED PASSAGEWAYS EXTEND INGLONGITUDINALLY THROUGH SAID ROTOR AND EACH COMMUNICATING WITH THEPERIPHERY OF SAID ROTOR BODY AT THE SAME SIDE OF EACH OF SAID VANES,THREE EQUIANGULARLY SPACED PORTS IN AN END OF SAID RECESS AND AT THESAME RADIUS FROM THE ROTOR AXIS AS SAID PASSAGEWAYS, THE REMOTE SIDES OFADJACENT PASSAGEWAYS BEING SPACED FARTHER APART THAN THE PROXIMATE SIDESOF ADJACENT PORTS WHEREBY AT LEAST SOME OF SAID PORTS AND PASSAGEWAYSARE ALWAYS IN REGISTRATION WITH EACH OTHER, SAID PORTS BEING CONNECTEDTO A SOURCE OF PRESSURIZED FLUID, AND MEANS FOR BLOCKING THE INDIVIDUALSPACES BETWEEN ADJACENT VANES DURING REGISTRY OF CORRESPONDINGPASSAGEWAYS AND PORTS.